FIRST- CLASS RESULTS
Meet Dan Conn, the driving force behind the F45 fitness empire – and not one to suffer any feeble excuses
How the founder of F45 Training built his formidable physique as one of the gang
Standing in Dan Conn’s sizeable shadow, it’s easy to raise an eyebrow at his claims to have forged his towering frame using the not-so-macho combination of circuits, mobility drills and pilates. However, Conn – the brains and brawn behind Australia’s F45 and the workout trend set for world domination with 800 studios in 22 countries – really does practise what he preaches. But it wasn’t always this way.
Destined for rugby league greatness at a young age, Conn played Australian age-group rugby at 15, lived and played with Sonny Bill Williams at 17, and turned pro with the NRL Bulldogs at 18. “The preseason was all about the big weights and long runs,” says Conn of prepping for the bruising physicality of the game. “Rugby league is such a bash-up sport; that’s why the average career spans just 27 games.”
“The players who have long careers are all about mobility – we call it ‘extras’ in Australia,” he continues. If only Conn had known that at the time, his life may have turned out very differently. “Sometimes people push through that pain barrier. I was a sucker for it,” he says. It was this mentality that saw him trying to “smash people up” on the pitch six weeks after he unknowingly fractured his neck. This forced him to retire at 26.
But here began the impressive rebuild project and his partnership with F45. “I’ve swapped sport-specific training for training to look and feel good,” he says. “My philosophy is that you’ve got to get out of your comfort zone at least twice a week, as well as dedicating 60-90 minutes to yourself everyday.” That’ll be two full-throttle classes to burn fat and gain lean muscle (yes, it is possible to build Conn’s bulk in a class setting – just grab the heaviest weight and lift really slowly) as well as finally paying attention to all those ‘extras’. Mobility work and pilates now take pride of place as part of his fitness regimen, protecting him from injury and priming his body for mind-bending feats of strength – take the trifling matter of his 200kg squat.
For some men, a broken neck would be just cause to check out. But for Conn it only made him stronger. And with his brawnchild, F45, expanding to 18 studios nationwide this year, we suggest you follow his lead.